Daaaaaaaaaaay-um if you guys ain't responsive! Thanks for all the e-mails about the "drunk rant."
You will likely never hear anything quite like that from me again, or at least not until I read a book or ten on American history.
More on that in a moment.


But FIRST!
FANART!!
(By Rob King, professional Danielle Corsetto Ass-Kisser)


And forgive the filler strip, guys.
I spent all night replying to a very long e-mail that I should have put off until tomorrow.
(Oops, "today" - it's morning... ugh!) Keep your eye on this page throughout the afternoon!


Okay, a few important notes about the "drunk rant."
First of all, I believe I said it in the rant once or twice, but I am by no means an expert on this stuff.
I haven't had cable in 7 years, I read way too little about current events, and it's a miracle I passed my history classes.
So please don't take my word on anything; however, feel free to form your own opinions based on what you read.
You should do that with EVERYTHING you read/hear.


The one strongly argumentative e-mail I received said something that I found important to highlight:


"...your media rant was precisely the sort of bunk that creates such widespread ignorance in our society and allows government to stomp on our civil rights. Do you realize what you're advocating to your "few thousand people," many of which really might take this as some sort of proof that our media is not to be trusted as a source of information?"


Okay, to explain, he was talking about my comment questioning the trustworthiness of our news. The e-mail was from a journalist.


I won't take a side on this issue - whether our news media is trustworthy or not - because I have no proof one way or the other.
And therein lies the issue: While I stressed those in the entertainment industry to watch what they say because their readers will be influenced, I may have influenced people myself without having the information to back it up.


So, please disregard the blatant bash on our news media.
While some of them over-dramatise things, I can't say that for ALL of them.


I don't agree with everything this reader said in his e-mail, but I felt that point was especially important for me to clear up.


And now, something even more important...


Another pal wrote in with lists and lists of suggested reading. I thought I'd share.


Reading suggestions:
The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution, which can be found here
The Federalist Papers, which can also be found here
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Henry David Thoreau's Walden and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
Howard Zinn's A Peoples History of the United States, 1492-Present
Power Surge (The Cato Institute)
Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey edited by Karen Wilkin


On warrantless wiretapping:
Congressional Research Service (CRS, a nonpartisan arm of Congress) on Presidential Authority to Conduct Warrantless Electronic Surveillance to Gather Foreign Intelligence Information (BREATHE!), which was released a week before...
Legal Authorities Supporting the Activities of the National Security Agency Described by the President (BREATHE AGAIN!) from the Department of Justice (DOJ), requested by VP Cheney... compare to the above document.

Also, for those of you who don't know ('cause I never did!), NPR can be found somewhere between 87.9 to 91.9 FM.


One last note, and then I'll shut the hell up:


I've made a few additions/changes to the "rant" - they're all noted below that post.
Scroll down and enjoy some really lovely quotes! (Thank you, Mark and Michael!)


So that's it. Topic switch: BOOOOOBIES!! And are you reading Bat Boy in The Weekly World News?
You should be, 'cause if you're not, you're missing out on a lot of action right now!


Oh, and I have a surprise for you guys on Monday. But I'll remind you then. Stay tooned!